NFL CALLING COLLECT: ASKS SPRINT TO PONY UP MORE IN DEAL

The NFL is seeking a "steep increase" of 25-50% in
Sprint's exclusive telecom sponsorship, which is already the
"priciest" of any pro league at $24M per year, according to
Stefan Fatsis of the WALL STREET JOURNAL. Fatsis notes that
part of the reason the NFL is asking for more from Sprint is
that it "wants to place a separate dollar value on the TV
exposure" Sprint earns from coaches wearing logoed-headsets.
Sprint's "counteroffer [is to cut] the annual fee nearly in
half in exchange for fewer marketing rights," as Fatsis
reports that Sprint "appears willing to part with local
marketing exclusivity to concentrate on cities where it
wants to boost business." NFL President Neil Austrian said
that the league "intends to meet with other" telecom
companies." Fatsis: "[The NFL's] success has bred what some
sports-industry executives consider a heavy-handed business
style, which is prompting some NFL partners to fight back.
... Even some team owners are concerned about the NFL's
approach." Bengals President Mike Brown: "When we're
perceived as always trying to maximize our money, it puts us
in an unfavorable light" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 11/2).